The present invention relates to an apparatus, method and computer-readable medium for controlling dispatch group calling across fleets in a dispatch calling network.
Some wireless communication networks, such as the iDEN network owned and operated by Sprint Nextel Communications, Inc., can provide two different types of voice communications services, i.e., interconnect and dispatch. An interconnect communication is what is conventionally considered “cellular communications,” while a dispatch communication is commonly known as a walkie-talkie or push-to-talk (PTT) type of call such as Nextel's service identified by the trade name Direct Connect.
Dispatch calls can be private calls or group calls. A dispatch private call is between two dispatch stations and a dispatch group call is between more than two dispatch stations. A talk group is a number of different communication stations which can be joined into a single communication session by dialing a single call identifier (i.e., a predetermined group call) or by selecting a group of invitees and dialing a dispatch call (i.e., an ad-hoc group call). In a group call, whereas only one party at a time is able to speak during the call, all parties can hear the communications of the other parties on the call.
Group calls are a popular means of communication for public safety organizations, such as police and fire departments. These group dispatch calls allow for members of a response team to communicate with each other at the scene of an incident. However, sometimes all of the response team members are not participants in the same group call. For example, one group call may be established between responding members of the fire department and a second group call may be established between responding members of the police department.
In known communication networks, a separate dispatch console is used for each fleet, which is a logical or functional organization of people who communicate with each other. A fleet can be a governmental or municipal department, an agency or an enterprise. A fleet is made up of groups and individual users. A group is made up of at least three individual users and is identified by a group ID, but cannot include other groups. A user may belong to a fleet and one or more groups. For example, a local police department may make up one fleet, which is managed by its own dispatch console, and a local emergency medical unit may make up another fleet, which is managed by its own dispatch console.
The distinction between fleets and groups in some cases is due to the design of a network. For example, in iDEN, Urban Fleet Member Identifications (UFMIs) are employed to initiate a private call. The structure of the UFMI is UUU*FF*MMMM, where there is a three digit urban identifier, a two digit fleet identifier and a four digit member identifier. Predefined group calls within a fleet are designated using a four-digit identifier beginning with a “#” (e.g., #123). Accordingly, different fleets can have the same group identifier for different groups. Because dispatch consoles conventionally are associated with a particular fleet, they are not designed to handle the problems that arise when two dispatch talk groups employ the same group identifier.
A dispatcher is a special user that uses the dispatch console. Within each fleet, a dispatcher can make a group and initiate an ad-hoc dispatch group call or initiate a pre-defined group call or private call with members within the fleet. Generally, a dispatcher or administrator of a fleet can manage only the users or groups within its own fleet. Usually, a fleet has one dispatcher, although a fleet can be configured to have more than one dispatcher. However, dispatch consoles currently do not support cross-fleet communications.
One technique for coordinating communications between group calls in different fleets is to have a third party participate in each group call and relay information between the two group calls. For example, a public safety coordinator who is not on-scene could monitor the communications between the two group calls to determine if the actions of one group affect the actions of the other group, or require coordination with another group/individual. This third party can monitor the overall situation by monitoring the communications of both group calls and communicating with them, or other groups or parties, as necessary based on the monitored communications. However, the involvement of a third party adds delay and unnecessary complication to communications between the two separate groups.